Imperial War Museums in London

One of most popular museums in Britain is Imperial War Museums. There are branches in all England. Only three of five branches are in London. Once in 1917 the first Imperial War Museum was opened. During this time to nowadays Imperial War Museums save arms for studying and understanding of the war’s history and the experience of wartime.
There are archives of photographs, documents, videos and films, a library and art collection, the examples of military aircraft, artefacts and etc. All time the museum belongs to Department for Culture, Media and Sport. But since 2008 General Director has been Diane Lees, who became the first woman leading a National Museum in Britain.

Let’s look some history of Imperial War Museum. In 1917 First Commissioner of Works Sir Alfred Mond wrote the proposition to establish a National War Museum. It was accepted. At that time the museum’s attributes were subjects of Army, munitions and war works of women.

After 1924 Imperial War Museum removed in South Kensington. Then in 1936 museum located in the south of the River Thames. The building, where was museum, designed by James Lewis.
During wartime of Second World War in 1939 among of artefacts appeared new collection of documenting this conflict. After 1966 to 2012 museum includes own site.
Now Imperial War Museum has some branches such as Imperial War Museum London, Imperial War Museum Duxford and Imperial War Museum North. Every of it has archives, special rooms and rich collections, valuable documents and photography’s and other subjects of art.